The Petcast Blue Cross

In this final episode of our bonus ‘Ask The Vet’ mini-series, Emma Barton and Blue Cross Chief Veterinary Surgeon, Caroline Reay, discuss whether pet owners should be bathing their four-legged friends? 
Many people mistakenly believe that their pet’s coat needs to be washed as often as we wash our own hair - but in actual fact, some pets are better left for as long as possible.
A lot of our furry friends have sensitive skin and cleaning them too often can really dry out their coat or cause skin irritation, so as responsible owners it’s important to know what precautions to take when washing our pets.
Useful Links:
How often should you wash your dog? https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-advice/how-often-should-you-wash-your-dog Top 10 tips for looking after a hamster: https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-advice/top-10-tips-looking-after-hamster 
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Pet theft and pet scams have been rife over the past year, attributed to the pandemic ‘pet boom’. In this episode, Blue Cross arms pet owners – new and old – on how to protect themselves and their four-legged friends against criminal activity.
Alongside Emma Barton and Blue Cross’ Head of Public Affairs, Becky Thwaites, this episode features best-selling author, James Bowen - who talks about his own experience of being scammed when looking to welcome a new puppy into his home. 
Becky, who campaigns for better animal welfare legislation across the UK, speaks about why she thinks there has been an increase in pet thefts and scams: “Unfortunately, with the coronavirus pandemic it has led to a massive increase in people wanting to get a new pet for their lives, but that goes hand-in-hand with a massive increase in prices and demand. 
“And then you've got just more of the criminal element to the trade, so, we’re seeing things like pet theft, scams and a legally bread puppies coming into the country, so unfortunately, there's just a lot of  bad guys out there trying to take advantage of people that just want a lovely new pet for their life.”



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Emma Barton and Blue Cross Chief Veterinary Surgeon, Caroline Reay, delve into the topic of pets and dementia.
Have you ever wondered if your pet could be living with dementia, or what would happen if their memory started to deteriorate? Perhaps you have started to notice them acting a little strangely in their old age, but aren’t sure why? 
In this episode, Caroline and Emma discuss how pet owners can spot the signs of dementia, and what they can do to keep their pet pals happy and comfortable following a diagnosis. 
Useful Links:
Caring for older cats: https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-advice/caring-for-older-catsCaring for older dogs: https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-advice/caring-for-older-dogsCare for the older horse: https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-advice/care-older-horse 
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Emma Barton, along with pop star turned farmer, JB Gill and Becky Skyrme; Animal Behaviourist at Blue Cross, delve into the myriad of weird and wonderful ways that pets show affection, solicit love and attention, and let their owners know they’re happy.
 
From dogs to cats, rabbits, guinea pigs and even horses, this episode explores the sounds and behaviours that indicate your pet’s own unique love language.
Becky Skyrme shares her expert knowledge into animal behaviours and provides the listeners with an insight into what their four-legged friends might be trying to tell them:
“There are individual differences, and you do become tuned in to your own pet and their little quirks and ways. But there are certainly some general signs as well to look out for. 
“Anything to do with their bodies, the tail being an obvious one – a loose, sweeping, wagging tail from side to side is generally an indicator that a dog is happy or excited about what’s happening.”
Useful Links:
Ever wondered why your cat licks you? Find out why here: https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-advice/why-does-my-cat-lick-me 
Each dog is an individual and every single one has its own personality quirks. It’s what we love about our dogs! But what should you do if your dog’s behaviour becomes a problem? Read Blue Cross’s advice here: https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-advice/what-to-do-if-your-dog-has-a-behaviour-problem 
What is your cat’s tail trying to tell you: https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-advice/what-is-your-cats-tail-telling-you 
By understanding how horses would behave naturally you can make sure that your horse or pony is as happy and healthy as possible in your care: https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-advice/what-horses-need-and-natural-behaviour 

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Emma Barton and Blue Cross Chief Veterinary Surgeon, Caroline Reay, discuss the strange eating habits of dogs! 
It’s a stomach-churning sight for us humans but many dogs like to eat poo otherwise known as coprophagia - the eating of faeces or dung.
Horse manure, cow pats, cat poo, fox poop and even other dogs’ faeces are common favourites. But surely our dogs don’t do this just to make us feel nauseous?  
So, why exactly do our dogs eat poo? A common misconception is that this means your dog has a nutritional deficiency. However, as Caroline explains, it is more likely that there is a more straightforward explanation.
Useful Links:
Why does my dog eat poop? https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-advice/why-does-my-dog-eat-poop 
Why does my dog eat grass? https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-advice/why-does-my-dog-eat-grass 
Can dogs eat apples, grapes, potatoes and other fruit and veg? https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-advice/can-dogs-eat-apples 
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TV personality, Nicola McLean, and Blue Cross’s Pet Bereavement Support Service Manager, Diane James, join Emma Barton to explore the incredible link between pets and our mental health.
Over the last year, there has been a marked increase in the number of people struggling with their mental health because of the pandemic. To help those who may be feeling the effects, Emma and her guests will be touching upon how owning a pet can boost our mental wellbeing and the benefits of having pets in work environments and retirement homes, whilst also looking into how a pet owner’s own mental health can impact their pets. 
Delving deeper into the amazing impact pets can have on our lives, Diane James says: “It’s not just assistance dogs, but all pets can give you a form of companionship treatment, it can be therapy to improve your social, emotional or cognitive abilities and we’ve known even horses, for example, to provide this. 
“We’ve rehomed horses at Blue Cross where we had a case of a young lady who didn’t want to brush her hair, but when she saw a horse being groomed it encouraged her to brush her hair.
“It’s the joy they bring us, but it is also the social and emotional things they bring into our lives that are great.”
 Useful Links:
Owning a pet is one of life’s pleasures and, unlike some other pleasures, pets are positively good for children and adults alike. Read about all of the benefits here: https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-advice/dogs-and-human-health
Find out more about the benefits of pet ownership here: https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-advice/benefits-pet-ownership 
Animals can bring a smile to your face on the darkest of days. So, if you’re working from home, here are some fun ways of involving your pet to lift the spirits of you and your online colleagues: https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-advice/working-from-home-with-your-pet
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